Akio Isshiki Architects Transforms Historic Japanese Workshop into Modern Home with Latticed Wood Gate

Akio Isshiki Architects has ingeniously transformed a former sheet-metal craftsman's residence and workshop in Tatsuno, a town steeped in history, into a contemporary dwelling featuring a striking latticed wooden gate. The studio's founder, Akio Isshiki, emphasized the multifaceted considerations that guided the project, ensuring that the new design respectfully integrated with its historic setting.

This ambitious renovation thoughtfully navigates the delicate balance between modern living and the town's medieval heritage, once built around a mountain castle. Isshiki explained that the project sought to create an architectural response that naturally addressed the myriad contexts surrounding the property, from the ancient streetscape and the previous owner's craftsmanship to the client's desires and practical building constraints. For instance, initial plans for a deck connected to the dining room were modified due to the compact site; instead, part of the dining area's interior was reconfigured to create a terrace, complete with a traditional engawa platform that seamlessly links the house to its garden. A cleverly designed sliding glass door, with a frame that disappears into the wall when open, enhances the illusion of a fully integrated indoor-outdoor space. The 144-square-meter residence also incorporates traditional Japanese design principles, such as a long approach leading to a bright rear garden and the engawa, to ensure it harmonizes with the town's historical aesthetic.

The former workshop at the front of the property has been reimagined as a public-facing area, featuring a large, sliding cedar latticed gate and a welcoming narrow entrance porch. Inside, this versatile space functions as an enclosed terrace, complete with a small wooden toilet inspired by traditional machiya houses. Akio Isshiki Architects preserved elements from the original workshop, including a metal ring now integrated into a handrail beside the relocated indoor staircase, which now occupies the old workshop area. A stone at the base of the first step provides a practical spot for shoe removal. The renovation predominantly uses wood, specifically cedar, to complement the original timber structure and blend with the historic neighborhood, including a shrine directly opposite the house. Isshiki noted that the contrast between the lighter new cedar and the aged, darker existing cedar beautifully conveys the passage of time within the home. Further enhancing the tactile experience, earthen plasterwork was applied, while Tunisian tiles add decorative flair to the kitchen, which also features a custom-built, combined wooden dining table and work surface. The upper floor, comprising a bedroom, living room, and guest room, largely retains its original layout but now includes a sunken study and a tokonoma for displaying art and flowers. Isshiki concluded that the renovation aimed to create a holistically comfortable home through meticulous attention to spatial dimensions, light, outdoor connections, materials, and the intricate relationships between each space. The studio's previous works include a charred-cedar-clad house in Osaka and a project that merged old and new in a combined home and restaurant.